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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26674852">tie me to you (old, new, borrowed, blue)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BadWolfGirl3/pseuds/BadWolfGirl3'>BadWolfGirl3</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Gotham (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Hugs, I need sleep, Kissing, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Nygmobblepot, Post-Canon, TAKE THIS MESS, There is no plot just fluff, They love each other guys, Wedding Fluff, Weddings, cliches, its cute y’all, let me be happy, no angst to be found here</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 13:15:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,160</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26674852</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/BadWolfGirl3/pseuds/BadWolfGirl3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>And Edward looks over at Oswald, who’d really only showed up for support, and it’s like his whole world just stops. Oswald is a vision in the moonlight between the skyscrapers, all wild hair and smiles wide enough to match Ed’s own. His milky white skin is splattered beautifully with blood, his eyes sparkling with wicked glee and so, so blue. </p>
<p>And all Ed can think in that moment is: this is the man I’m going to spend the rest of my life with.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Oswald Cobblepot/Edward Nygma</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>89</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>tie me to you (old, new, borrowed, blue)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Is it really fluff if you talk about thieving and bloodshed? I say it is. </p>
<p>Either way these past few weeks I’ve been really sad and stressed out and exhausted. School is hell and I’m crazy busy and emotional and it all just sucks a lot (I saw a video of a cat on the internet telling me everything would be okay and burst into tears, if that’s not an indicator of how I’m doing). So I figured writing something cute would make me feel better. </p>
<p>I pulled the outfits out of thin air. I do not know fashion, especially not men’s fashion. Sue me if they don’t work, I was going for... some kind of aesthetic. Don’t ask me what. It connects back to the title, that’s about all I can point out. </p>
<p>I like proposals. Proposals are cute. Weddings are even cuter. I did both. So take this mess and revel in the fluff with me. I only talk about blood a little bit.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Ed realizes it, it hits him like a ton of bricks. It’s completely and utterly out of the blue.</p>
<p>They’re running through the streets of Gotham, fingers interlocked so tightly it’s like they were never meant to be separate in the first place, bags full of precious jewels from some new exhibit at one of the museums swinging wildly at their sides. Ed had been carefully planning this endeavor for months, mapping out each and every step, crafting the perfect riddles. There is no Bat, he’s held up on the other side of the city with some other rogue, as planned, and by the time he finally works out the riddles and death traps Ed had left in place for him, the two of them will be long gone with solid alibis and some very crafty lawyers in their pockets. There’s no chance of those idiots at the GCPD catching up with them anytime soon, either. It’s perfect.</p>
<p>The night is quiet- or as quiet as it can be on a late night in Gotham, the blaring of the museum's alarm and their sharp breathing ringing in Ed’s ears. The sky is clear, the almost full moon lighting up the streets like a spotlight. The rush of the night’s activities fills him up like it hasn’t in a very long time, and he finds himself euphoric, laughing loudly and clearly as his feet pound against the pavement. He feels young again.</p>
<p>And Edward looks over at Oswald, who’d really only showed up for support, back up ammunition, and the thrill of watching Ed work, and it’s like his whole world just <em>stops</em>. Oswald is a <em>vision</em> in the moonlight between the skyscrapers, all wild hair and smiles wide enough to match Ed’s own. His milky white skin is splattered beautifully with the blood of some guard or other who’d tried to stop them, his eyes sparkling with wicked glee and so, so <em>blue</em>.</p>
<p>And all Ed can think in that moment is: <em>this is the man I’m going to spend the rest of my life with.</em></p>
<p>The thought nearly stops him in his tracks. The better, smarter part of his brain keeps his feet moving with only a small stumble, causing Oswald to look back at him for a minute before continuing to pull them further away from capture. Right. Evade prison now. Think about… everything else later.</p>
<p>They don’t stop until they’re back at Oswald’s apartments above The Iceberg Lounge, laughing as they stumble up the stairs and through the doorway. They stand facing each other in the middle of the darkened penthouse, grins splitting their faces, chests heaving up and down from all the running, and it’s like things have always been this way. Like they hadn’t spent years to finally get it right, to put aside all of their differences to finally become <em>whole</em>. In the here and now, there is Edward Nygma and there is Oswald Cobblepot, tied together by some stubborn cord of the universe that refused to let it all end with the <em>bang</em> of a gun or the <em>schik</em> of a knife.</p>
<p>They don’t need to say anything as they stand there. Outside, the city lives on and the world keeps turning, but inside all they need is this.</p>
<p>A wave of complete and utter fondness for the man in front of him washes over Ed, warm and sweet like caramel. It’s hard to imagine that there’d ever been a time when he <em>didn’t</em> feel this way. When he didn’t wake up every morning with Oswald next to him (or on top of him, beneath him, behind him) and fall asleep every night the same way. When he couldn’t hold him so tightly that he didn’t know where one of them started and the other one ended, fingers and lips locked together like a promise. Gone are the days of heartbreak and betrayal and pain, replaced with mornings of sleepy kisses over breakfast and nights of blood splattered floors and making love in front of the fireplace. Ed thinks he’d sooner burn the world to the ground than lose any of it.</p>
<p>All of this must show on his face, the all encompassing <em>love</em> for the Penguin that fills his entire body and consumes all of his thoughts, because Oswald tilts his head, smiling softly. “What?”</p>
<p>(How do you put a thousand thoughts all into a single sentence?)(How can this ever growing warmth in his chest for the man in front of him even be put into words at all?)</p>
<p>“I am as endless as a chain,” Ed blurts out, unable to say anything else. “Once you have me, you are bound for life. I link two people, but only ever touch one, what am I?”</p>
<p>Oswald furrows his brow. “Ed, what-”</p>
<p>“Marry me,” Ed finally gets out, grasping Oswald’s hands in his. The words themselves are a complete surprise, bursting out of his mouth without permission. He’d meant to think all of this over, let it simmer sweetly in the background as he got used to the idea, hold onto it for just a little bit longer. But now he’s here, clutching Oswald like a lifeline, eyes wide and heart beating so fast it almost beats completely out of his chest, and <em>he doesn’t even have a ring for God’s sake-</em></p>
<p>“I’m sorry,” Oswald says, interrupting his train of thought. “<em>Can you say that again</em>?”</p>
<p>Well. This is it. It’s really happening. Might as well go for it.</p>
<p>Ed slowly sinks to one knee, never losing his grip on Oswald’s hands. “I have been <em>yours</em>… for a very long time. I would do <em>anything</em> for you- kill for you, die for you. Without you… I don’t know who I am.” He takes a shaky breath and lets it out slowly, cheeks puffing out dramatically. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you, by your side, for as long as and whatever you want me to be. So… marry me?”</p>
<p>Almost before the words finish leaving his mouth, Oswald pulls his hands out of Ed’s grip and yanks him up, crashing their lips together in a fierce kiss. Ed gasps and quickly returns it, his hands coming up to fist in Oswald’s hair. Hope rises in his chest like a balloon, steadfast and sure.</p>
<p>“<em>Yes</em>,” Oswald whispers, pulling back from the kiss to get the words out before reeling Ed back in. “Yes, you ridiculous man, always.”</p>
<p>Their kiss has become not much more than them sharing the same space, tears sliding softly down their cheeks and smiles too wide to continue for very long. Ed wraps his arms tightly around Oswald, his <em>fiancé</em>, resting his chin on top of his head. He thinks that if it were scientifically possible, he’d be floating.</p>
<p>“I don’t even have a ring,” he hears himself say through the haze of emotion in his head, his voice thick. He doesn’t really know why he says it (all that matters is <em>Oswald, Oswald, Oswald</em>).</p>
<p>Oswald laughs against his chest, the sound a little watery but oh so happy. “We can go out and get one tomorrow.” He pulls out of the hug and cups Ed’s face in his hands, his sweet smile turning seductive. “Right now, I’d like for my <em>fiancé</em> to take me to bed.”</p>
<p>Excitement zings through him like a bolt of lightning at the word. <em>Fiancé</em>. He could get used to that one. Ed grins and kisses Oswald again, his whole body warming at the contact. “That can be arranged.”</p>
<p><em>Yeah</em>, he thinks as Oswald tugs him towards their bedroom, shedding clothes as they go, <em>this is how it’s supposed to be</em>.</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>They get married a week later, on a rainy Sunday afternoon.</p>
<p>Although they’re very over the top people, they’d decided instead on a simple courthouse wedding- it was more fitting of their lifestyle than a traditional one. All they ever need is each other anyway. So, a week, some rings, a witness (Zsasz), and a few bribes to push all the paperwork through so quickly, they’re standing in front of a judge.</p>
<p>Oswald is the most beautiful thing Edward has ever seen. His suit is a dark grey, paired with a purple waistcoat and tie, his makeup done to perfection. His monocle is one that used to belong to his father (old), his top hat is perched just so on top of his head (new)(bought it last week) and his pocket square is a soft green (borrowed)(it's Ed’s). His eyes sparkle like sapphires (blue). Ed will keep this memory with him forever.</p>
<p>As for his own outfit, he’d toned down his normal flamboyant, headache inducing green suit (Oswald’s words, not his) for a darker colored piece, forest green instead of emerald. His bowler hat only adds to the look (old), his cufflinks are ornate question marks (new)(pre wedding present), and his pocket square is a lovely purple (borrowed)(it’s Oswald’s). And because he can, his socks are patterned with question marks too (blue).</p>
<p>They’re really doing this. It feels like a dream.</p>
<p>“Edward Nygma,” Oswald murmurs, taking both of his hands in his own. They’d decided on writing their own vows. “My mother always used to tell me ‘life only gives you one true love. When you find it, run to it.’ You’re my true love, Ed. I don’t want anyone else. It’s always been you.” He pauses to wipe his eyes and Ed squeezes his hands, a lump rising in his throat.</p>
<p>(He never knew love could <em>feel like this.</em>)</p>
<p>“And it may have taken us a long time, but I am so glad I found you. I promise to be with you, by your side, through whatever life may put us through. Always. I’m never letting you go.”</p>
<p>Who knew that this was where they’d end up? The Ed from almost twenty years ago now would never have imagined this.</p>
<p>Oswald is sliding the ring onto his finger, a silver band with tiny emeralds embedded in the middle, and now it’s Ed’s turn to say his own vows. And he opens his mouth… and no words come out. His head is suddenly completely blank. He’d spent hours preparing his vows, writing them down over and over again until they were perfect. He’d practice the words in the mirror until he memorized them, and now they were just… gone.</p>
<p>(All the words in the world and he can barely express just how much Oswald means to him)(there aren’t enough to even cover half of it- there never will be)</p>
<p>Then he remembers the first time he’d ever felt like this, his throat sore, warm from the heat of a roaring fire, and all the points where his body connected with Oswald tingling with energy, and he knows what he has to say.</p>
<p>“I would do anything for you,” he says, voice soft. Oswald gasps and tightens his grip on his hands. “You can always count on me.”</p>
<p>It’s all he needs to say. Oswald knows the rest.</p>
<p>He slides the other ring onto his finger, gold with a big amethyst set in the middle. They’re both crying now, clutching each other with no intention of ever letting go. All of this almost doesn’t feel real. If this is a dream, Ed never wants to wake up. They sign the marriage license, and just like that, they’re married. Their first kiss as husbands is sweeter than anything Ed’s ever tasted in his life.</p>
<p>Afterwards, they dine out at one of the restaurants in the Diamond District, feeding each other from their own plates and drinking champagne, eyes bright and laughter loud. When the waitstaff catches wind that this is their wedding day (their <em>wedding day</em>, Ed’s heart sings), they get a complimentary dessert, which they share with one fork. Oswald had closed The Lounge down for the day in advance, so when they’re done with dinner they slow dance in the middle of the club, humming along to each song in each other’s ears. Ed thinks this might be the happiest day of his life.</p>
<p>“I love you so much,” he whispers in Oswald’s ear as the song switches over to something by Sinatra. Oswald tilts his head up and locks their lips together, his hands tightening around Ed’s shoulders. The world keeps on turning and the city keeps on going but in this moment it’s like nothing else exists. It’s just them. All they need is this.</p>
<p>“I love you too, <em>husband</em>,” Oswald murmurs when they break apart, a smile lighting up his whole face.</p>
<p>Ed shivers and pulls Oswald back into their dance, tightening his arms around his waist and resting his chin on top of his head as they sway. This is exactly where he’s supposed to be. Sinatra croons through the speakers and the lighting in the club makes Oswald look ethereal.</p>
<p><em>Husband</em>. Yeah, he could get used to that.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Something cool to note is that this is my 10th Gotham fic- which doesn’t sound like a big milestone, but because I haven’t felt the urge to write like I’ve been doing these past few months since at least 2016, I consider it a win. I think after the week I’ve had, I can be proud of myself.</p>
<p>I hope those of who are starting/have started school are doing alright. I know how crazy it can be, and if you need someone to talk to, you can always do so here, I won’t mind. I might not be good at giving advice (I’m so awkward it’s not even funny) but I’ve been told I’m a good listener. </p>
<p>Stay safe, y’all.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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